Machine for the assembly of eye members in textile materials



MACHINE Fo'a'ms ASSEMBLY OF EYE MEMBERS IN TEXTILE MATERIALS Filed Dec.20?. 1957 April 12, 1960 w v DE mcb o 2,932,029

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F 5 Wi|hamV. DeNlcolo A'H'orneqs 1 United States Patent MACHINE FOR THEASSEMBLY OF EYE MEMBERS IN TEXTILE MATERIALS William V. De Nicolo,Chicago, Ill., assignor to Industrial Development Corporation, Chicago,11]., a corporation of Illinois Application December 20, 1957, SerialNo. 704,083 1 (Ilaim. (Cl. 1-4) and it relates more particularly to anautomatic eyesetting machine. This invention embodies improvements onthe eye-setting machine described and claimed in the copendingapplication of Lundberg et al., Serial No.

587,784, filed May 28, 1956, and entitled Eye-Setting Machine. and it isan object of this invention to improve upon the eye-setting machinedescribed and claimed therein.

Another object is to produce an eye-setting machine of the typedescribed which embodies means for main taining proper registration ofthe eye unit during transfer from the feed into position for engagementwith a backing plate to secure the textile material therebetween,whereby errors in assembly can be avoided to provide a better yield ofproperly assembled eye fastener units in the textile material.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention willhereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not oflimitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of a fragmentaryportion of the machine illustrating the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the portion of the machine shownin Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view cross-wise through the unitshown in Figure 1 while in normal position; and

Figure 4 is a sectional elevational view embodyingthe elements of Figure3 but shown in an operated position of adjustment.

Detailed description of the elaborate machine for the automatic assemblyof eye members and stay plates need not be repeated here since theimprovement embodying the features of this invention is limited to theholder on the end of the ram which operates to receive the eye membersfrom the feed chute and to carry the eye members forwardly into registrywith the pre-positioned backing plate for projection of the prongs ofthe eye members through the openings of the backing plate to effect anassembled relationship therebetween. Fora full description of theremainder of the machine, reference may be made to the aforementionedcopending application.

Briefly described, the eye-setting member embodying the features of thisinvention makes use of an elongate ram 10 which is pivotally mounted atits upper end for pendulum movement between a normal backward position,shown in solid lines in Figure l, and an operated 'or forward position,shown in broken lines in Figure 1. When in normal backward position, theram head 12 is incrosswise alignment with the end of the chute throughwhich eye members are continuously fed from a supply source. When inoperative or forward position, thehead -12 is in vertical alignment withthe anvil on which an 2,932,029 Patented Apr. 12, 1960 ICC anchor plateis pre-positioned by a separate feed system which operates in timedrelationship with the ram and eye feed for effecting an assembledrelation.

The ram is provided at its lower end with a head 12 which is adapted toreceive the eye member 14 fed thereto from the chute to carry the eyemember from the feed position to the forward position in verticalalignment with the anvil and the anchoring plate whch is positionedthereon.

The ram 10 is also mounted for vertical movement between a raisedposition, shown in solid lines in Figure 1, and'a lowered position,shown in broken lines in Figure l, to receive the eye member from thefeed chute when in normal or raised position and to project the prongsof the eye member through the openings of the anchor plate when inlowered or operated position. to enable an assembled relation to beeffected therebetween.

The up and down movement of the ram is effected in response to themovement of a lever arm from which it pivotally depends. The lever armis actuated by means of a cam secured about a drive shaft of the machineupon which a number of other cam members are mounted for effecting otheroperations, including the eye member feed cycle, the anchor plate feedcycle, and the prongbending feed cycle, all of which operate in timedsequence in response to the position and contours of the cams on thedrive shaft. The aforementioned elements and their operation are morefully described and illustrated in the aforementioned copendingapplication.

The inventive concepts of this invention are embodied in the specificimprovement of elements of the ram head whereby the eye members areretained in proper alignment for the accurate insertion of the prongsthrough the openings of the anchor plate in effecting an assembledrelation. Description will hereinafter be made in greater detail of theconstruction of the ram head embodying the described improvement.

As illustrated in the drawing, the ram head 12 is formed with anelongate hanger rod 20 having a central portion 22 threaded forengagement with the threaded end portion of a bore 24 extending upwardlythrough the end portion of the ram and having a circular cross sectioncorresponding to the cross section of the end portion 28 of the hangerrod-which is adapted to be received in feeding relation therein. Thehanger rod can be adjusted endwise relative to the ram by turningmovement. A flat face is provided in the hanger rod portion extendinginto the bore for engagement by a'setscrew 30 to hold the rod againstturning movement to prevent inadvertent adjustment from the setposition.

The lower end portion of the hanger rod is formed with a slide block 32,preferably of polygonal shape, and dimensioned to have a cross sectionas large, and preferably larger, than the cross section of the hangerrod.

Depending from the central portion of the 'block is a ram rod 34preferably in the form of a rectangularly shaped member dimensioned tohave a length in cross section corresponding to the length of thebodyportion of the eye member and a width in cross section which isslightly less than the width of the body portion of the eye member.

Enclosing atleast the top and the lateral sides of the block 32 is ahousing member 36 having an opening 38 in the top wall 40 dimensioned toenable the hanger rod 20 to extend slidably therethrough, whereby therod and the block 32 integral with the bottom end thereof are capable ofendwise movement relative to the housing. The side walls 42 and 44 ofthe housing are dimensioned to have a length corresponding to thethickness of the lower edges of the. side walls 42and44 and. embracingthe sides of the ram rod 34 are a pair of clamping plates 46 and 48having a length and width corresponding to theleng'th and .width of theramrod, but preferably of slightly greater length than the ram rod sothat the end of the rod will be positioned a short distance inwardlyfrom the end of the clamping plates when in its lowered or operatedposition of adjustment.

The clamping plates are each formed with an opening 50 in the centralportion thereof in crosswise alignment with a slot 52 in the ram rod toenable a pin 54 to be inserted through the aligned openings, thereby toenable the ram'rod to be displaced endwise between the clamping platesbetween normal or raised position (Figure 3) and lowered position(Figure 4). The pin 54 is formed with threaded ends 56 and 58 forreceiving nut members 60 and 62 respectively. Compression springs 64 aremounted about the pin with one end bearing against the outer face of theclamping plates while the opposite end bears against the locking nutmembers 60 and 62 constantly to urge the clamping members in thedirection towards each other resiliently to embrace the ram rodtherebetween. The described resilient support for the clamping plateswill enable the plates to be rocked for 'a limited distance about theirinner upper edge or about the bottom edge of the side walls 42 and 44 ofthe housing.

The housing is constantly urged downwardly to bring its top wall 40 intoresilient engagement with the slide block 32 by means of a coil spring66 positioned about the lower end portion of the hanger rod 20 with oneend of the spring bearing against the upper surface of the top wall 40while the other end bears against a nut member 68 which is threadablymounted on the threaded midportion of the hanger rod. The slot 52 in theintermediate portion of the-ram rod 34 is dimensioned to have a lengthwhich-is greater than the amount of endwise displacement of the hangerrod, and the block and ram rod join thereto in movement togetherrelative to the clamping plates.

The end face opposite the eye member feed chute is provided with a stopplate 70 secured at its upper end portion to the slide block 32 by meansof a capscrew 72,. The lower edge of the stop plate 70 terminates at alevel corresponding to the lower edge of the ram rod, when in normalposition.

In the construction of the aforementioned copending application, theportions of the clamping plates normally extending downwardly beyond theends of the ram rod "provide a spaced relationship therebetweencorresponding to' the width of the ram rod and the body portion of theeye member. Thus the eye member is capable of being received andretained therein with the eye member tilted in one direction or theother. Under such conditions, misalignments can exist between the prongsand the openings of the anchor plate so that error is possible in theinsertion of the prongs through the textile material. These conditionswill invariably lead to an improper execution of the operations of theeye assembly machine, with the result that an unsatisfactory assemblywill be achieved. This will either necessitate repair or the removal ofthe assembled eye and anchor plate with the requirement that the textilematerial be reprocessed through the machine. This will result in wasteof time and materials and in possible damage to the garment beingprocessed.

An important concept of this invention resides in the modification ofthe construction of the portions of the clamping plates extendingdownwardly beyond the end of the ram rod, whereby the depending endportions are formed with with ofisets 74 which slope inwardly anddownwardly in the direction towards each other to provide upper camsurfaces 76 which terminate at the lower edge of the clamping plates inspaced-apart relationship from each other adapted to eorrespond'to'thewidth of the prong members extending therebetween when the ram tooperated position.

tion of the eye member adjacent the lower edge of the ram rod and firmlygripped between the clamping plates. It is preferred to space the endsof the clamping plates by a distance slightly greater than the width ofthe through-extending end portions of the prongs.

The limited spaced relationship between the inner ends of the clampingplates, when in normal position, operates to center the prongs betweenthe clamping plates so that the eye member will be incapable of beingtilted when clamped between the plates. Instead, the eye member will beheld within the ram head in a desired centered relationship with theprongs extending downwardly from the body portion in parallel relationwith the ram rod. The described clamping plates will also operate tocenter the prongs even while the eye member is being displaced from theram head in response to movement of the ram rod from normal to itsoperated position.

The inclined edges 76 of the clamping plates also provide .cammedsurfaces which become effective upon engagement by the lateral edges ofthe body portion of the eye member, upon displacement therebetween, torock the clamping plates outwardly about their pivots in a manner toenable ready release of the clamping plates upon operative engagementwith the anchor plate but while main taining constant control byresilient engagement thereof. Thus a controlled and guided relationshipis constantly maintained to accurately position the eye member in theram head for displacement from the ram head to insert the prongs throughthe textile material and the aligned openings of the anchor plates.

Because of the greater width of the body portion of the eye members bycomparison with the width of the ram rod, the clamping plates willresiliently engage the eye members for support thereof in the ram headso that the ram head can operate to receive the eye members and to carrythe eye members from feed position to assembly position with the anchorplate.

In normal position, the anchor plates 46 and 48 are dimensioned toextend beyond the lower end of the ram rod 34 for a distance slightlyless than the length of the prongs extending perpendicularly downwardlyfrom the body portion .14 of the eye member so that the prongs willproject downwardly between the inset ends 74 of the anchor plates whenthe eye member is displaced from the feed chute into the space betweenthe anchor plates with the body portion adjacent the underside of theram rod. Thus the eye member with its lateral edges extending beyond theram rod will be gripped by the anchor plates to hold the eye member withthe prongs extending downwardly through the space between the ends ofthe anchor plates to carry the eye member in its properly centeredposition for assembly.

' The ram rod and the attached elements, including the .block 32 and thehanger rod 20, is adapted to be capable of displacement endwise relativethe clamping plates through the lost motion in the slot 52 for adistance correspoding to the spaced relation between the end of the ramrod and the end of the clamping plates to enable displacement of the eyemember from between the clamping plates when the ends of the clampingplates are stopped to in response'to engagement with the anvil and thetextile material thereon during movement of the Upon engagement, theanchor plates are stopped but the lost motion permitted by the slottedsupport from the ram rod permits the ram and the ram rod to continuedownward subsequent to stoppage of the clamping plates to ram the eyemember downwardly in the direction to project the prongs through theunderlying textile material and the openings of the anchor plate. Inoperation, the ram head remains in operated position for a timesuflicient to enable actuation of the prong bending means to bend theportions of the prongs extending through the openings in the anchorplate to effect the assembled relation.

elements are in normal osition, an with t e y r- .7 t w l be de s od atchanges may be made in the details of construction, arrangement andoperation without departing from the spirit of the invention, especiallyas defined in the following claim.

I claim:

In an eye settingmachine for hook and eye fasteners, a holder forcarrying eye members having an elongate rectangularly shaped bodyportion and prongs extending downwardly substantially perpendicularlyfrom the body portion comprising a ramrod dimensioned to have a widthslightly less than the width of the body portion of the eye member, apair of clamping plates carried by the ram rod with the ram rodsandwiched therebetween, means constantly urging the clamping plates inthe direction towards each other resiliently to engage the ram rodtherebetween, lost motion means mounting the clamping plates on the ramrod with the end of the ram rod spaced upwardly from the ends of theclamping plates by an amount less than the length of the prongs when innormal position and with the end of the ram rod adjacent the ends of theclamping plates when in operated position, said clamping plates havingend portions beyond the end of the ram rod, when in normal position,which extend in the direction towards each other throughout the widththereof for a distance to provide a spaced relationship therebetweenless than the width of the body portion of the eye members but slightlygreater than the width of the portion of the sprongs extendingtherebetween when the body portion of the eye member is positionedadjacent the end of the ram rod and between the clamping plates when innormal position, said lost motion means comprising an elongate slotextending in the lengthwise direction in the ram rod and openings in theclamping plates in crosswise alignment with the slot, and a shaftextending continuously therethrough, said slot being dimensioned to havea length greater than the lost motion between the clamping plates andthe ram rod and in which the means constantly urging the clamping platesin the direction towards each other resiliently to engage theram rodtherebetween comprises stops on the end portions of the shaft extendingbeyond the clamping plates and spring members between said stops and theadjacent outer walls of the clamping plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS132,221 Tomlinson Oct. 15, 1872 599,078 Kempshall Feb. 15, 18981,126,324 Weinstein Jan. 26, 1915 1,479,793 Eek Ian. 8, 1924 2,416,312Harkeem Feb. 25, 1947 2,737,657 Miller Mar. 13, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS11,935 Great Britain Jan. 22, 1914 285,204 Great Britain Feb. 16, 1928569,427 France Apr. 11, 1924

